H.R. 1115 — Weather Radar Coverage Improvement Act

This section establishes the short title as the “Weather Radar Coverage Improvement Act.”

This section directs the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, in consultation with the Director of the National Weather Service, to develop a plan to replace the National Weather Service’s Next Generation Weather Radar (NEXRAD) system and to complete that replacement by September 30, 2040. As background, NEXRAD is the nationwide Doppler radar network used to detect precipitation and severe weather and to support forecasts, warnings, and emergency response. The plan must include: (1) estimates of quantifiable improvements in coverage and accuracy from replacing NEXRAD; (2) development of a prototype digital phased array radar to test the specifications and requirements for the replacement system; (3) establishment of a weather surveillance phased array radar testbed to evaluate commercial radars that could replace or supplement NEXRAD and to provide technical assistance for small, gap-filling radars in areas where topography limits larger systems; and (4) consultation with meteorologists, emergency managers, and public safety officials on replacement specifications and requirements. This section also authorizes the Director of the National Weather Service to use and contract with third-party entities to fill existing radar coverage gaps using diverse weather radars and data assimilation technologies to better detect significant precipitation and severe weather across a greater area. The Director must prioritize entities that participated in the testbed. The Director may also consider weather camera systems and services as technologies to supplement radar gaps. Finally, the section requires the Under Secretary to provide periodic implementation updates to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology and the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.